The fundraising efforts of hundreds of people living in and around Swindon have paid off with the arrival of a brand new CT scanner at the Great Western Hospital's new Radiotherapy Centre.
Previously patients having radiotherapy at the centre had to have their planning appointment 30 miles away in Oxford, but thanks to this new addition, people will be able to get their cancer treatment closer to home.
Work has almost finished on the new £18 million Oxford University Hospital Radiotherapy Centre at the Swindon hospital which will be the new home of the recently delivered piece of equipment.
Read: Exciting photos reveal £18m state-of-the-art radiotherapy centre at Great Western Hospital
All of this has been made possible through the hospital trust's charity Brighter Futures who launched appeals for the Radiotherapy Centre and the CT scanner, as well as the many fundraising events that members of the public took part in - raising thousands for them.
A spokesperson for Brighter Futures said: "We are so grateful to all the donors who have supported Brighter Futures CT Scanner Appeal for this specialised planning scanner."
Carpenter Richard Bromley made the special NHS branded guitar which was played by psychedelic rock legend Kavus Torabi at Kozfest and fetched £900 for the CT scanner when sold at the festival.
Read: Carpenter's hand-made guitar music to hospital trust's ears
The return of the annual Hackpen Hill Trail 10k organised by James and the Bailey family, with support from the running group The Wroughton Whippets, friends, loved ones and sponsors helped to raise £4,000.
Read: Hackpen Hill runners raise vital cash for Brighter Futures
A group of 46 thrillseekers, 33 of which worked for the trust including A&E department, discharge lounge and audiology staff, jumped off the roof of the hospital for a charity abseil, adding £6,058 to the pot.
Read: 46 thrill-seekers jump off GWH roof for charity
Finally, South Swindon Parish Council's 'Enchanted Light Trail' at the Town Gardens last December raised £30,000 after hundreds of local people went to visit.
Read: First festive light trail raised £30k for GWH charity
The charity would further explain how this will benefit patients in Swindon.
It said: "Thanks to advances in technology, radiographers in Swindon will be able to share patient CT Scans with the expert planning team based at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. They will use this information to create bespoke and targeted radiotherapy treatment plans for each patient.
"This gives patients the expertise provided by a regional centre of cancer excellence whilst offering patients cancer care close to home and their support networks.
"If you’d like to support this project and help bring cancer care closer to home please visit our website."
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